A Cuca 1924

Tarsila do Amaral made "A Cuca" at an unknown date, using oil on canvas. The colours are so flat, as if everything is existing on the same plane. It’s bold in its simplicity, reducing forms to their most elemental shapes. You can see her playfulness in the rendering of each creature and plant. Look at the yellow anteater-like figure, Cuca. The paint is applied so smoothly, which adds to its otherworldliness. The creature’s simple, oval eyes and vertical stripes create an appealingly direct gaze. It's as if a cartoon has been flattened onto a canvas. This piece reminds me of the work of Joan Miró, sharing a similar interest in folklore and childlike imagery. But while Miró often dives into abstraction, Amaral grounds her work in a recognizable, if surreal, landscape. The painting is, above all, a celebration of imagination and the blending of cultural influences.